Organizer 3: Google Search Log Share your search thinking and refinements as you interact with the search engine
Strategies (identify your strategy the readings/viewing for this Mod):
First Google search statement/query: I used the keywords from organizer 1. I got 6,410,000 results. That is too many results containing too many unrelated results on the first couple of pages.
Second attempt (describe refinements) I tried to use some of the synonyms from organizer 1. Entered computers –ipads pros cons history and received 3,210,000 results. Not a good idea, no useful results in first few pages.
Third attempt (describe refinements) Typed in “laptops in the classroom” “social studies” –college = 27,500 results. I entered –college because I was finding links to articles about kids using their laptops in college classes and professors worrying about them being off task during lectures instead of taking notes. Since that is not really related to my topic, I’m choosing to –college to try and avoid those types of results.
Add rows as appropriate) If I typed in “history classroom” instead of “social studies” I received 8,240 results. I tried that, then returned to 3rd attempt wording and narrowed it further to site:edu and got 381 results. Adding “high school” to that produced 139 results. I tried changing it to intitle: laptops, but only ended up with 5 results – too narrow. Deleted site:edu and it went back up to 4,370. Then I searched “laptops in the classroom” “social studies” “high school” –college –theft filetype:pdf and received 401 results. Several of these results were reports of studies done by schools or districts that have implemented some sort of laptop program. I added –theft because a lot of the examples of laptops in the classroom are about the laptops being issued to students, for use everywhere and at home. I only want the laptops to stay in the classroom for school-day use only so theft should not be an issue like it is with students being able to take them home or to their lockers.
4 Reflection: Summarize discoveries you made as you thought about searching and refined your searches. Synthesize any key points on search strategies from the readings/viewings. You may write this summary in paragraph form, bullet points, chart form or combination as long as you are communicating what you have learned. Please also share your reflection in your Learning Portfolio reflection for Mod 4.
I tried advanced search, but it was not any different than using the techniques I had already incorporated like minus, phrasing, site, file format, etc..
I took a long time on this assignment because I kept coming upon great sites to use for my research and paused to take notes or note the website url to check later.
I found new keywords and ideas for things to leave out like –college and –theft from reading some of the sources.
For example, in future searches I’d also like to search “national laptop program,””enhance student learning,” “digital divide” “cost-effective” and “digital teaching assistants.” I’d also like to play around with phrasing to distinguish between the school providing the laptops versus the students bringing their laptops to school. And for the laptops staying in the classroom rather than being checked out to students. I may not have to though as there is a surprising amount of material on “laptops in the classroom” and I believe it to be a sufficient amount for our purposes. Now if I was writing a graduate thesis or something, that would be a different story.
I might also research grants associated with laptops in the classroom.
I think narrowing my searches using site, file, and format – things I never used before, is going to make me a more efficient searcher and lead to better quality results.
As far as graphic organizers, I think I would create my own – one is enough.
Additional notes: Try searching the word "impact." Look up YouTube videos. Look in databases.
Joyce’s notes: I have a feeling you may find some of what you are looking for searching "one to one" or "laptop programs." Using K12 as a search term might help too. Consider truncating laptop*, although I suspect Google did that for you. It may be time to take a peek at the databases and I would also search the blogs!
Laptops
benefits
negatives
“social studies”
Computers
-ipads
Advantages, pros, positives
Disadvantages, cons, drawbacks
History, geography
classroom
Laptops, classroom
Computers, achievement, “social studies,”
“Digital divide,” “cost-effective”
Theft, college
Organizer 3:
Google Search Log
Share your search thinking and refinements as you interact with the search engine
I used the keywords from organizer 1. I got 6,410,000 results. That is too many results containing too many unrelated results on the first couple of pages.
I tried to use some of the synonyms from organizer 1. Entered computers –ipads pros cons history and received 3,210,000 results. Not a good idea, no useful results in first few pages.
Typed in “laptops in the classroom” “social studies” –college = 27,500 results. I entered –college because I was finding links to articles about kids using their laptops in college classes and professors worrying about them being off task during lectures instead of taking notes. Since that is not really related to my topic, I’m choosing to –college to try and avoid those types of results.
If I typed in “history classroom” instead of “social studies” I received 8,240 results. I tried that, then returned to 3rd attempt wording and narrowed it further to site:edu and got 381 results. Adding “high school” to that produced 139 results. I tried changing it to intitle: laptops, but only ended up with 5 results – too narrow. Deleted site:edu and it went back up to 4,370.
Then I searched “laptops in the classroom” “social studies” “high school” –college –theft filetype:pdf and received 401 results. Several of these results were reports of studies done by schools or districts that have implemented some sort of laptop program. I added –theft because a lot of the examples of laptops in the classroom are about the laptops being issued to students, for use everywhere and at home. I only want the laptops to stay in the classroom for school-day use only so theft should not be an issue like it is with students being able to take them home or to their lockers.
Summarize discoveries you made as you thought about searching and refined your searches. Synthesize any key points on search strategies from the readings/viewings. You may write this summary in paragraph form, bullet points, chart form or combination as long as you are communicating what you have learned. Please also share your reflection in your Learning Portfolio reflection for Mod 4.
Additional notes:
Try searching the word "impact."
Look up YouTube videos.
Look in databases.
Joyce’s notes: I have a feeling you may find some of what you are looking for searching "one to one" or "laptop programs." Using K12 as a search term might help too. Consider truncating laptop*, although I suspect Google did that for you. It may be time to take a peek at the databases and I would also search the blogs!